Teenage actress having an adventure on the road with 'The Lion King'

Wednesday

Sep 3, 2014 at 6:00 AMSep 3, 2014 at 5:21 PM

By R. Scott ReedyWicked Local Arts Correspondent

Performer Nia Holloway had never seen either a musical or play when she went to an Atlanta audition for the North American tour of "The Lion King," the Disney show that won six 1998 Tony Awards and has been seen by some 70 million people worldwide.And, just a couple of months later, when she was cast as Nala – the role she’ll be playing when the tour returns to the Boston Opera House on Tuesday – she still hadn’t seen the highest-grossing show in Broadway history. The 18-year-old can be forgiven, however, for letting a few other things take priority in her life – like homework and basketball practice."One of my mom’s friends sent us a Facebook notice about the open call and my mom took me to it when I was a junior in high school. I was cast in the show and saw it for the first time in Nashville when I went there for a costume fitting. All I could think while I was watching it was, ‘In two months, that’s going to be me," explained Holloway by telephone from Montreal last week. "I joined the tour when I was 17, and I’m the youngest person to ever play this role in the 17-year history of ‘The Lion King.’ I did my senior year in high school online and celebrated my 18th birthday on the road."Holloway, who went home to Norcross, Georgia, to attend her senior prom and walk with her 2014 high school class at graduation, is age-appropriate for the role of Nala in the musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, a musical score by Hans Zimmer and choral arrangements by Lebo M.Directed by Newton native and Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor, the show also features her stunning costume and mask designs and the giant hollow puppets that are the production’s signature design element."As a child, Nala is Simba’s young playmate and later she becomes his Queen," says Holloway of the story of Simba, the young cub who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, after he is murdered. Simba’s evil uncle, Scar, not only kills Mufasa, but also convinces Simba that it is he who was responsible, forcing the young lion into exile. It is up to Nala and Rafiki the baboon, his friend and royal adviser, to help restore Simba’s confidence so that he can retake his rightful position as Lion King."I’ve watched the movie so many times and it has really helped me to get to know Nala. She has some spunk in the movie, but even more in the stage production. She’s a strong teenager and also a warrior princess who keeps her eyes open, shoulders back, and stands straight and ready all the time," says Holloway who might easily be describing herself.While strong, Holloway is also still very young and for her first year on tour, before she turned 18, she was accompanied by her father, Floyd Holloway, while her mother, Celeste, remained at home with her younger sisters, Audrey, now 17, and 15-year-old Naomi."All I had to worry about was turning in my school work on time and playing Nala. My dad took care of everything else. I know I can always count on my parents. My mother is my wake-up call every morning. No matter where we are the road, and no matter the time zone, when the phone rings in my hotel room, I hear my mother’s voice say, ‘Good Morning, Nia, it is time to get up.’ And, we usually call each other four or five more times during the day."In addition to support from her parents, Holloway also benefits from the inspiration of the example set by her late grandmother, singer Loleatta Holloway. Known for disco-era songs like "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation," Holloway’s biggest hit, "Good Vibrations," went to number one in 1991 when it was sampled by Boston’s own Marky Mark (Wahlberg) and the Funky Bunch."I was really close to my grandmother. My sisters and I and all our cousins would visit her at her home in Chicago. She was a mega-star in her own right, but she was also just my grandmother and was always so, so humble. There would be those times, though, when one minute she would be home with all of us and the next minute she’d get a call and be on a plane to Japan for a gig. She did her first tour at 17, so she is real role model for me. I learned so much from her, because she always set a perfect example. I have a long way to go to live up to my grandmother. She always told me, ‘Whatever happens in your career or your life, don’t ever change."What happens next for Holloway is her 19th birthday on Sept. 26 and at least another year on the road with "The Lion King," which is just fine by the performer who is planning to take online college classes while she travels."My mantra is ‘No fear.’ Even when you’re afraid, think ‘No fear.’ Fear is never a reason not to do something," says Holloway. "I’d been in school productions before, but now I’m traveling the U.S. and Canada, doing eight performances a week in a leading role in one of the biggest shows in the world. I want to do all kinds of different things after this, too, including Broadway, films, and television. I would also like to be an international recording artist and, hopefully, a cover girl. That’s something I have always wanted."Disney’s "The Lion King"WHEN: Sept. 9 to Oct. 12 WHERE: Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston TICKETS: Start at $33 INFO: 1-800-982-2787; BroadwayInBoston.com

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